¹¹ Hiram king of the city of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonecutters. They built a palace for David. ¹² Then David knew that the Lord really had made him king of Israel and that the Lord had made his kingdom great because the Lord loved his people Israel.

¹³ After he came from Hebron, David took for himself more slave women and wives in Jerusalem. More sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ These are the names of the sons born to David in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been made king over Israel, all the Philistines went to look for him. But when David heard the news, he went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ The Philistines came and camped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ David asked the Lord, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord said to David, “Go! I will certainly hand them over to you.”

²⁰ So David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines there. David said, “Like a flood of water, the Lord has broken through my enemies in front of me.” So David named the place Baal Perazim.^{[a] 21} The Philistines left their idols behind at Baal Perazim, so David and his men carried them away.

²² Once again the Philistines came and camped at the Valley of Rephaim. ²³ When David prayed to the Lord, he answered, “Don’t attack the Philistines from the front. Instead, go around and attack them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act quickly. I, the Lord, will have gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.” ²⁵ So David did what the Lord commanded. He defeated the Philistines and chased them all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

6 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel—thirty thousand of them. ² Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah^[b] to bring back the Ark of God. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord All-Powerful, whose throne is between the gold creatures with wings. ³ They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, led the new cart ⁴ which had the Ark of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of the Lord. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

⁶ When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of God. ⁷ The Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him because of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because the Lord had killed Uzzah. Now that place is called the Punishment of Uzzah.

⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the Ark of the Lord come to me now?” ¹⁰ So David would not move the Ark of the Lord to be with him in Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, a man from Gath. ¹¹ The Ark of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.

¹² The people told David, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of God is there.” So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem with joy. ¹³ When the men carrying the Ark of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. ¹⁴ Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen vest. ¹⁵ David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and blew the trumpets as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.

¹⁶ As the Ark of the Lord came into the city, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw David jumping and dancing in the presence of the Lord, she hated him.

¹⁷ David put up a tent for the Ark of the Lord, and then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. ¹⁹ David gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to every Israelite, both men and women. Then all the people went home.

²⁰ David went back to bless the people in his home, but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “With what honor the king of Israel acted today! You took off your clothes in front of the servant girls of your officers like one who takes off his clothes without shame!”

²¹ Then David said to Michal, “I did it in the presence of the Lord. The Lord chose me, not your father or anyone from Saul’s family. The Lord appointed me to be over Israel. So I will celebrate in the presence of the Lord. ²² Maybe I will lose even more honor, and maybe I will be brought down in my own opinion, but the girls you talk about will honor me!”

²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day she died.

Bringing Back the Ark

13 David talked with all the officers of his army, the commanders of a hundred men and the commanders of a thousand men. ² Then David called the people of Israel together and said, “If you think it is a good idea, and if it is what the Lord our God wants, let’s send a message. Let’s tell our fellow Israelites in all the areas of Israel and the priests and Levites living with them in their towns and pastures to come and join us. ³ Let’s bring the Ark of our God back to us. We did not use it to ask God for help while Saul was king.” ⁴ All the people agreed with David, because they all thought it was the right thing to do.

⁵ So David gathered all the Israelites, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the Ark of God back from the town of Kiriath Jearim. ⁶ David and all the Israelites with him went to Baalah of Judah, which is Kiriath Jearim, to get the Ark of God the Lord. God’s throne is between the golden, winged creatures on the Ark, and the Ark is called by his name.

⁷ The people carried the Ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, and Uzzah and Ahio guided it. ⁸ David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of God. With all their strength they were singing and playing lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

⁹ When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. ¹⁰ The Lord was angry with Uzzah and killed him, because he had touched the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.

¹¹ David was angry because the Lord had punished Uzzah in his anger. Now that place is called The Punishment of Uzzah.

¹² David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I bring the Ark of God home to me?” ¹³ So David did not take the Ark with him to Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom who was from Gath. ¹⁴ The Ark of God stayed with Obed-Edom’s family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom’s family and everything he owned.

David’s Kingdom Grows

14 Hiram king of the city of Tyre sent messengers to David. He also sent cedar logs, bricklayers, and carpenters to build a palace for David. ² Then David knew that the Lord really had made him king of Israel and that he had made his kingdom great. The Lord did this because he loved his people Israel.

³ David married more women in Jerusalem and had more sons and daughters. ⁴ These are the names of David’s children born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been made king of all Israel, they went to look for him. But David heard about it and went out to fight them. ⁹ The Philistines had attacked and robbed the people in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰ David asked God, “Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, I will hand them over to you.”

¹¹ So David and his men went up to the town of Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines. David said, “Like a flood of water, God has broken through my enemies by using me.” So that place was named Baal Perazim.^{[a] 12} The Philistines had left their idols there, so David ordered his men to burn them.

¹³ Soon the Philistines attacked the people in the valley again. ¹⁴ David prayed to God again, and God answered him, saying, “Don’t attack the Philistines from the front. Instead, go around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. ¹⁵ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then attack. I, God, will have gone out before you to defeat the Philistine army.” ¹⁶ David did as God commanded, and he and his men defeated the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

¹⁷ So David became famous in all the countries, and the Lord made all nations afraid of him.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

15 David built houses for himself in Jerusalem. Then he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and he set up a tent for it. ² David said, “Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever.”

³ David called all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he had made for it. ⁴ David called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites. ⁵ There were one hundred twenty people from Kohath’s family group, with Uriel as their leader. ⁶ There were two hundred twenty people from Merari’s family group, with Asaiah as their leader. ⁷ There were one hundred thirty people from Gershon’s family group, with Joel as their leader. ⁸ There were two hundred people from Elizaphan’s family group, with Shemaiah as their leader. ⁹ There were eighty people from Hebron’s family group, with Eliel as their leader. ¹⁰ And there were one hundred twelve people from Uzziel’s family group, with Amminadab as their leader.

¹¹ Then David asked the priests Zadok and Abiathar and these Levites to come to him: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ¹² David said to them, “You are the leaders of the families of Levi. You and the other Levites must give yourselves for service to the Lord. Bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have made for it. ¹³ The last time we did not ask the Lord how to carry it. You Levites didn’t carry it, so the Lord our God punished us.”

¹⁴ Then the priests and Levites prepared themselves for service to the Lord so they could carry the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of God on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded, just as the Lord had said they should.

¹⁶ David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to play their lyres, harps, and cymbals and to sing happy songs.

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman and his relatives Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel’s son. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. And Ethan, from the Merari family group, was Kushaiah’s son. ¹⁸ There was also a second group of Levites: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were the Levite guards.

¹⁹ The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze cymbals. ²⁰ Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the lyres. ²¹ Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played the harps. ²² The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the singing, because he was very good at it.

²³ Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the guards for the Ark of the Agreement. ²⁴ The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets in front of the Ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also guards for the Ark.

²⁵ David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of a thousand soldiers went to get the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord. They all went to bring the Ark from Obed-Edom’s house with great joy. ²⁶ Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven male sheep. ²⁷ All the Levites who carried the Ark, and Kenaniah, the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers wore robes of fine linen. David also wore a robe of fine linen and a holy vest of fine linen. ²⁸ So all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord. They shouted, blew horns and trumpets, and played cymbals, lyres, and harps.

²⁹ As the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord entered Jerusalem, Saul’s daughter Michal watched from a window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she hated him.

16 They brought the Ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God. ² When David had finished giving the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. ³ He gave a loaf of bread, some dates, and raisins to every Israelite man and woman.

⁴ Then David appointed some of the Levites to serve before the Ark of the Lord. They had the job of leading the worship and giving thanks and praising the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁵ Asaph, who played the cymbals, was the leader. Zechariah was second to him. The other Levites were Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They played the lyres and harps. ⁶ Benaiah and Jahaziel were priests who blew the trumpets regularly before the Ark of the Agreement with God. ⁷ That day David first gave Asaph and his relatives the job of singing praises to the Lord.

David’s Song of Thanks

All the people said “Amen” and praised the Lord.

³⁷ Then David left Asaph and the other Levites there in front of the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord. They were to serve there every day. ³⁸ David also left Obed-Edom and sixty-eight other Levites to serve with them. Hosah and Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun were guards.

³⁹ David left Zadok the priest and the other priests who served with him in front of the Tent of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon. ⁴⁰ Every morning and evening they offered burnt offerings on the altar of burnt offerings, following the rules written in the Teachings of the Lord, which he had given Israel. ⁴¹ With them were Heman and Jeduthun and other Levites. They were chosen by name to sing praises to the Lord because his love continues forever. ⁴² Heman and Jeduthun also had the job of playing the trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments when songs were sung to God. Jeduthun’s sons guarded the gates.

⁴³ Then all the people left. Each person went home, and David also went home to bless the people in his home.